1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the control of a sonde forming part of an underground boring tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that if an underground boring tool generates a magnetic field, that magnetic field can be detected above ground by a suitable locator. An example of this is described in e.g WO96/29615 in which a solenoid on or in the underground tool generates a magnetic field which is detected to measuring locations. It is also possible, by modulating the magnetic field, to transmit information from the underground boring tool to the locator. Therefore, it is possible to have a sonde in which such field generation, modulation, etc is controlled. The sonde then makes it possible to transmit information from the underground boring tool to the locator.
In particular, it is possible for the sonde to transmit data representing the orientation of the underground boring tool. In WO96/29615, the boring tool incorporated a tilt sensor, and the sonde could then transmit the data from that sensor to the locator. Other sensors, such as roll sensors, may also be provided.
In such arrangements, the sonde generated a low frequency electromagnetic field (typically 8 to 30 kHz), which carrier is modulated to transmit sensor data. Such communication is thus from the sonde to the locator, and there is no direct communication from the locator to the sonde.
Normally, the carrier signal generated by the sonde is at a predetermined frequency. The locator is then controlled to detect that carrier frequency, and the modulations thereon. However, signalling between the sonde and the locator may be affected by interference from underground sources of electromagnetic radiation such as electrical cables, or the magnetic field distortion effects of buried metallic structures. Such interference effects are frequency dependent, and therefore it is possible that transmission between the sonde and the locator at a particular frequency may be greatly affected by such interference, whereas transmission at another frequency may not be affected, or affected much less. Of course, changing the carrier frequency may also affect the range of transmission between the sonde and the locator, battery life, etc, and therefore there is potentially a balance between these factors. If the operator of the locator finds that interference is a problem, the operator may decide that operating at another carrier frequency would be beneficial. However, in the existing systems, it is not possible for the operator to signal to the sonde to change frequency.
It would, of course, be possible to provide a suitable signalling path from the locator to the sonde by increasing the complexity of both the locator and the sonde. This would increase the size and cost of the sonde, which may not be desirable or practical for an underground boring tool.
However, existing underground boring tools are normally connected to their drive in a way which permits the drive to rotate the boring tool. Many underground boring tools have an axially offset slanted face which enables the boring tool to be steered so that it moves in the desired direction at any time. In order to detect this rotation, sondes associated with such tools include a roll sensor, information from which can be transmitted to the locator. In normal circumstances, the information from the roll sensor is used by the operator to control the direction of movement of the boring tool.
However, it has been realised in accordance with the present invention that if a predetermined rotation or rotation sequence is applied to the underground boring tool, a roll sensor can detect such rotation and the rotation may be treated as a command for the sonde. Thus, if the operator wants to signal to the sonde to change carrier frequency, a predetermined rotation or sequence of rotations is applied to the underground or inaccessible boring tool, detected by the roll sensor of the sonde, which sonde then determines the frequency change needed.
Although the present invention has been formulated with particular application to an underground boring tool, it is applicable to an control of an underground or inaccessible object in which a predetermined rotation or sequence of rotations is applied to that object, which rotations are treated as commands to signalling operations from the underground object.
Where there is a single rotation, the present invention may provide that a change in carrier frequency of a sonde in the underground boring tool may be triggered by a rotation which is different from that needed to trigger a change of the sonde to a state in which it does not generate electromagnetic radiation (a xe2x80x9cparkxe2x80x9d state). Alternatively, if the sonde does not have such a park state, the change in frequency may be triggered by a single rotation.
In one embodiment a sequence of rotations is used to transmit a command, each rotation of which must be completed within pre-set time limits. The sequence is then chosen so that it will not occur during the normal operation of the boring tool. The use of a time limit for each rotation in the sequence of rotations significantly reduce the probability of the detection of a command during normal activities of the underground boring tool.
The present invention thus permits signaling to the sonde in an underground boring tool without modification to the boring tool or significant alteration of the features or the physical size of the sonde.